Event Leviathan issue #5 Preview/(spoiler) discussion

[Superlad93]

[Frontier]

Look at that Talia diss .

[cranger]

One of the main casts/suspects is again not named on the recap.

Anyway, is Elongated Man suggesting her father is their suspect?

[K. Jones]

He's suggesting her father is NOT in a hospital bed in Colombus. Which, if that were the case, could suggest it to be him (he was always the "too obvious choice" just based on her involvement here). He's the most overt red herring. However him not being in Columbus suggests something worse, because Clark has been checking on him periodically as an important story beat like every issue every time she asks. And if he's not in a hospital bed in Columbus, Clark Kent is lying to her.

This tracks with my thoughts, too.

But we'll see. I'm pretty sure I'm right but I'm not infallible here. There's some odd choices. Ra's al Ghul getting a mention just because he exists and is global in scale even though he hasn't factored into the story at all. So on. So forth.

[Superlad93]

This was probably my favorite issue so far. Really feels like the ending is getting the build up and momentum you want and need for a mystery.

That said....

So help me God, if it's Mark nobody-in-the-world-gives-a-flying-f#%k then the whole event is lesser for it. It's not a solvable mystery to anyone reading the book who doesn't have extensive knowledge of the DCU and the burning urge to wiki dive. Other Manhunters were not even mentioned in the book before this point.

But you know what? That ending seemed too definitive. It seems like the plan is 100% to fake out at the last second. And with Damian being the one to notice, and his mother being there, I'm going to double down on the idea that it's Damian from the future.

[Korath]

If you're right, man. If you're right... It'll be huge. And, hell, it could work well if 5G is truly a thing : Jon as Superman and his best friend as the well-intentioned extremist leader of all the spies and underhanded stuff ? It could be brilliant.

[manwhohaseverything]

This was probably my favorite issue so far. Really feels like the ending is getting the build up and momentum you want and need for a mystery.

That said....

So help me God, if it's Mark nobody-in-the-world-gives-a-flying-f#%k then the whole event is lesser for it. It's not a solvable mystery that anyone reading the book who doesn't have extensive knowledge of the DCU and the burning urge to wiki dive. Other Manhunters were not even mentioned in the book before this point.

But you know what? That ending seemed to definitive. It seems like the plan is 100% to fake out at the last second. And with Damian being the one to notice, and his mother being there, I'm going to double down on the idea that it's Damian from the future.

The no. Of mysteries bendis has landed unpredictably so far are zero. The fire mystery and cloud mystery both were obvious. It could turn shaw is back. It isn't obvious. Damian is obvious.
Having said that Damian is very protective of jon. Especially, Damian was only that respectful of clark when it came to jon and their friendship(supersons of tomorrow) . This issue clearly shows leviathan cares about jon too much. He basically was ranting on and on about him and his protection . I could see this being damian.

[rpmaluki]

I was getting that same vibe. It sounds like future Damian (I don't mean the Bendis-speak btw which many complain about already). Every panel with Leviathan was followed up immediately with Damian questioning Kate, especially when you consider Damian's relationship to Jon. That's too much of a coincident for me.

That last panel with Sam and Lois got me and just like that we segue into yet another mystery probably meant for the Lois book. Cool.

[DragonPiece]

This issue hit all the right spots for me. The drama with Lois and her dad was great, the jokes about superman and batman listening in on them and of course, Damian possibly guessing the identity. Just overall a really great issue and reminds me I need to read Bendis's Batman Universe, because I really like his batman take. Also is that ending teasing us finally getting talia is a anti hero again? I haven't read silencer, so I don't know if she already is. I'm just tired of her being a straight up villain.

[Korath]

She was an absolute villain in The Silencer. Well, she wasn't wrong on what she saw in society today, as corrupt and inherently destructive, but she was very manipulative, back-stabbing and ruthless. But she was also established as the only one able to lead old Leviathan, with crazy tech and resources at her disposition. If Bendis decides to make her an anti-hero with The Silencer, Raze, Lady Whisbone, Jonah Nine and Quietus, she can basically dabble in anything from stealth assassination to magic and genetic manipulations !

[Superlad93]

Everyone who pointed out that Bendis had that moment with Leviathan in part center around Jon makes a good point. And after reading today's issue of Superman, I'm more convinced about where he's going to get his time related teleporter tech from.

My favorite part of that exchange was probably "let us fix the world, and then you can protect it." I don't think I've seen that approach for an antagonist of this sort before.

[DragonPiece]

She was an absolute villain in The Silencer. Well, she wasn't wrong on what she saw in society today, as corrupt and inherently destructive, but she was very manipulative, back-stabbing and ruthless. But she was also established as the only one able to lead old Leviathan, with crazy tech and resources at her disposition. If Bendis decides to make her an anti-hero with The Silencer, Raze, Lady Whisbone, Jonah Nine and Quietus, she can basically dabble in anything from stealth assassination to magic and genetic manipulations !

I'd love that, it's clear things between her and Bruce will always be strained, but I don't get why she always has to remain a pure villain.

[Korath]

I'd love that, it's clear things between her and Bruce will always be strained, but I don't get why she always has to remain a pure villain.

At that point, it's probably just the momentum of her and Ra's being evil, really. After all, we live in the world were Extinction Rebellion is growing, the ecocide and climate disaster is starting to truly get grasped by Westerners and I think it's more and more acknowledged that the foundations of the modern society we enjoy are in fact rotten and deeply destructive for the Earth, its climate, its wildlife and us, humans. In that sense, transitioning Talia and her whole family from irremediable evil peoples to well-intentioned extremists could work, I think.

[The World]

What's wrong with being a villain?

[Superlad93]

Can't believe I missed one of the bigger clues in the issue: Leviathan confirms their "daddy issues" that were theorized by Green Arrow 2 issues ago.

When talking to Clark about the recent dealings with his dad in space, Leviathan says that they can relate to things not ending well with ones father. They double confirm it by saying they know that struggle.

Once again, Damian has a pretty famously complicated relationship with his father.

Mix in the fact that this issue once again confirmed that Leviathan's teleport tech is temporal in nature, and today's issue of Superman has the fortress A.I., Kelex, describe Saturn Girl's arrival and departure as temporal in nature (obviously), and I think it's clear that time travel is a clue. Also worth noting that, like Leviathan, Saturn Girl was able to penetrate the defenses of a place that's normally highly secure.

Future Damian. I'm telling ya.